…..Acting to Save

Planning to Protect... ...Acting to Save

June 2014 Volume 2, Issue 6

Inside this issue:

Fire & EMS

Run Report 1

EMS Bureau Report 2

Fire Prevention/

Public Safety Bureau 4

Operations Bureau 6

Training Bureau 7

In Their Own Words 8

WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT

YEARS of SERVICE ~June

BC T.VanLangen…....06/18/92

FF J. Dornacker….….06/05/00

MPO S. Inhof…….….06/25/00

FF S. Williams….…...06/25/12

Adm Ast K Williams...06/21/13

Sky Lantern Use is Prohibited The West Bend Fire Depart-

ment wants to remind all resi-

dents and visitors to the City

of West Bend that the use of

sky lanterns is not allowed.

Sky lanterns have become

popular during celebrations

such as weddings and remem-

brances. However, they pose

a serious fire risk and their use

is prohibited by the City’s fire

code regulations.

Sky Lanterns, which are also

known as Kongming lanterns,

sky candles, or fire balloons,

are small hot air balloons

made of paper or other similar

lightweight material with an

opening at the bottom where

a small fire is suspended. The

fire heats the air inside the

balloon causing it to float.

Unfortunately, sky lanterns

become an unattended fire

after they are released with-

out any control over where

they wind up. Winds can af-

fect the sky lantern by blow-

ing it around, forcing the hot

air out and sending the flam-

ing lantern back to the

ground. They have been

the cause of several

wildland fires and $9 mil-

lion dollars damage at a

recycling plant in Britain.

Damages caused by a sky

lantern are the responsibil-

ity of the person that lit the

fire.

Sky lanterns were featured in

recent movies and appear

harmless. However, they pose

a serious fire risk and should-

n’t be used in any circum-

stance. Contact the West

Bend Fire Prevention Bureau

at 262-335-5055 with any

questions you may have re-

garding sky lanterns and fire

safety.

Emergency Activities

Types of Calls Jun-14 May-14 Year to Date (2014) Year to Date (2013)

Fires 7 7 28 30 Emergency Medical Calls 240 207 1331 1238 Paramedic Intercepts 7 11 55 63 Interfacility Transports 36 43 285 266 Hazardous Conditions 5 4 30 30 Service Calls/Good Intent Calls 11 11 81 64 False Alarms/False Calls 19 14 104 61 Other/Special Incident Types 1 0 6 5

Totals 326 297 1920 1757

Town of Barton Calls 11 13 58 33 Town of West Bend Calls 11 15 68 76

Summertime is finally

here and with the nic-

er weather people start

enjoying water activi-

ties. Swimming is a

great family activity

and also great exercise

but it poses potential

safety risks especially

to younger children.

Approximately 1 in 5

people who die from

drowning are children

14 and younger. Chil-

dren ages 1-4 have the

highest drowning rates

with nearly 80% of

these drowning's being

male victims. Most of

these drowning inci-

without caregiver’s

awareness. A 4 sided

fence separating the

pool area from the

house and the yard re-

duces a child’s risk of

drowning 83% com-

pared to a 3 sided

fence. Drowning's can

happen quickly and

quietly, there is no sub-

stitute for vigilant su-

pervision. Children

should always be

watched by an adult

when near water.

Younger children and

inexperienced swim-

mers should wear US

Coast Guard approved

Anatomy of an Emergency Medical Response

Page 2 Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Todd VanLangen

Captain Tom Thrash

Page 2

dents occur in home

swimming pools. The

main factors that af-

fect drowning risks are

lack of swimming abil-

ity, lack of barriers to

prevent unsupervised

water access, lack of

close supervision while

children are swim-

ming, and failure to

wear life jackets.

Taking part in formal

swimming lessons re-

duces the risk of

drowning in children

ages 1-4 years. Barri-

ers such as pool fenc-

ing prevent young

children from gaining

access to the pool area

life jackets around water

but do not rely on life

jackets alone. We also

need to remember hot

tubs can be as dangerous

as any swimming pool or

body of water. Younger

children are curious and

don’t understand the

dangers water can hold.

Designating a responsible

adult to watch young

children when in or near

water is critical. “Touch

Supervision” -Being close

enough to reach the child

at all times, is a “best

practice” situation.

The West Bend Fire De-

partment Ambulance

has been very busy so

far this year. As you

can see on the chart we

have done nearly 1700

EMS calls, which means

that we have interacted

with someone who is

sick or injured on aver-

age of 9 times per day.

This number does not

count fire calls and false

alarms. Our total num-

ber of calls for the first

six months of 2014 is

WBFD EMS Staying BUSY Page 3

1,920. Last year we on-

ly responded to 1,757

calls in the first six

months.

The members of the

West Bend Fire Depart-

ment continue to step

up to the challenge of

responding to more calls

for service while main-

taining a high level of

professionalism. When

not responding to calls

we are out doing thou-

sands of fire inspections,

public education,

tours and training.

Is Heroin in West

Bend? The answer to

that question unfortu-

nately is YES. That is

why the West Bend

Fi r e Depart ment

teamed up with the

West Bend Police De-

partment, West Bend

School District and

Elevate to hold a Com-

munity Conversation

about Heroin.

The event was held in

June at Badger Middle

School. More than 200

people attended. The

target audience was par-

ents of middle school

aged children. Members

from both the fire and

police departments were

on hand along with

school district officials

to share with parents

that we do have a drug

problem in our area.

We explained the effects

of Heroin and how it is

so addictive and we

gave statistics illustrat-

ing it’s presence in our

area. Including the fact

that last year we gave

the medication Narcan

46 times. Narcan is a

medication that reverses

the effects of opioids.

The Police department

explained to parents

that there is an issue with

drugs and how many

times they deal with peo-

ple who are on drugs or

dealing drugs. The School

district did a great job

giving parents tips for

talking with their chil-

dren. The feedback from

the event was very posi-

tive and we have plans to

hold several more Com-

munity Conversations

throughout the year.

HEROIN??

Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tammy Lamberg

Page 4 Planning to Protect…………..

June 2014 Inspections

Semi-Annual Annual Total Violations

Follow-up

Inspections

Compliance

Cards

Station #1 164 20 184 44 7 4

Station #2 49 26 75 8 0 1

Station #3 82 8 90 26 2 3

Staff Captain/

Townships

48 22 70 31 9 8

Totals 343 76 419 109 18 16

Count Permit Type Total Fees

2 Tent permits $150.00

1 Sprinkler Alterations, 15-50 heads $95.00

1 Sprinkler Alterations. 15-50 heads $75.00

2 Fire alarm Install 1-50 detectors, fire alarm control panel $215.00

2 LP tank permits $150.00

Total= Total Permit Fees for June $685.00

The power of lightning’s electrical charge and intense

heat can electrocute on contact, split trees and cause

fires instantaneously.

Summer Storm Fire Safety The WBFD recently

responded to a barn fire

caused by a lightning

strike. Fires caused by

lightning are common and

there are many safety fac-

tors to be considered dur-

ing an electrical storm.

Be aware of the follow-

ing things:

*Pools of water may be-

come electrically charged.

*Appliances that have

become exposed to water

can short and become a

fire hazard.

*Assume all wires on the

ground are electrically

charged.

* Report downed or dam-

aged power lines to emer-

gency services.

* Always use flashlights

instead of candles during

power outages.

* If you suspect that your

home has sustained electri-

cal damage turn off power

at the fuse box or main

breaker.

June Permits and Fees

Page 5

OCCUPANCY TYPE ACTIVITY NOTES

Assembly Consultation Evaluation of maximum occupancy limits

Residential Consultation Egress concerns related to excessive storage

Res/Health Care Acceptance testing New install-Alarms and alarm monitoring

Res/Health Care Acceptance testing New install-Fire pump activation and pressure tests

Res/Health Care Acceptance testing New install of fire tank-Water supply and flow rates tested

Retail Acceptance testing New detection and notification devices tested

Storage Follow-up Met with property owner regarding egress concerns

Retail Acceptance testing Sprinkler hydrostatic test in tenant build-out.

Res/Health care Acceptance testing New install of wet pipe sprinkler system hydrostatic testing

Industrial Follow-up Outstanding violations addressed with property owner

Business Consult Egress lighting requirements and updates discussed with business owner

Commercial Consult Potential tenant build-out plans discussed

Res/Health Care Acceptance testing New install of dry pipe, pre-action system hydrostatic testing

Business Acceptance testing New fire alarm control panel install and testing

*Clean up spilled fuel by

soaking it up with oil

dry or kitty litter.

*Use a snuffer to extin-

guish the torch.

*Allow the torch to cool

completely before stor-

age and store upright.

dren when torches are

being used in the area.

*Always pour the torch

fuel directly from the

bottle. Do not transfer

the fuel into any other

type of container. Store

fuel out of the reach of

children.

Fire Prevention Bureau Plan Reviews, System Acceptance Testing,

Consultations and Investigations for June

Captain Tammy Lamberg

Safety Tips for Summertime Entertaining volves open flame cer-

tain precautions should

be taken when they are

in use. The following

guidelines are suggested:

*Do not place tiki torch-

es under tree branches.

*Position torches at

least 10 feet away from

the house. This includes

decks and any over-

hangs.

*Place the torches at

least 8 inches into the

ground for stability.

*Always supervise chil-

One of the most popu-

lar items for summer

parties is the tiki torch.

They light up the night,

repel mosquitos and pro-

vide a bit of ambience.

Like anything that in-

Page 6

Operations Bureau Battalion Chief John Spartz

Captain Jon Coutts

New Fire Engine Progress

Progress continues on the new fire engine. Below are several pictures from the US Tanker who is the engine manu-

facturer. Delivery is expected in August of 2014.

The pump compartment module. Notice the bins for the

pre-connected attack line trays are set up at the front of

the module for easy access by firefighters from either side

of the vehicle.

Views of the cab

from the front and

driver’s side. The

engine is a 2014

Spartan Chassis

with a Cummings

Diesel engine. It

will be rated to

pump 1,250 gal-

lons per minute

and carry 1,000

gallons of water.

Driver’s side compartments before and after painting.

Right: Compart-

ments are placed

on the chassis

behind the area

where the pump

module will be

placed. The en-

gine will have a

top mounted

pump which is

the first West

Bend Fire De-

partment engine

with this type of

set-up.

Page 7

Fire Instruction & Training Bureau

Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle

Captain Tom Thrash

Positive Pressure Attack– A) Ventilation hole needs to be made to at the same time the fan is turned into the structure. B)

Fan is turned in allowing heated gasses to escape out vent hole. C) Heated gasses are allowed to escape. D) Safe and rapid

entry is made to the seat of the fire for extinguishment.

A B

C D

325 N 8th Ave.

West Bend, WI 53095

262.335.5054

www.ci.west-bend.wi.us

The back page of our newsletter features notes or cards that we have received from our customers….the

people we serve. Whether it is on an ambulance call, fire call, or a public education assignment, the

members of the West Bend Fire Department are dedicated to making their contact with us a positive expe-

rience.

In Their Own Words…...

WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT

Planning to Protect… ...Acting to Save

FF Jeremy Kolberg joined

the West Bend Fire Depart-

ment in February 2014. Jere-

my started his fire service

career by becoming an Emer-

gency Medical Technician

prior to entering the fire ser-

vice which is different from

most firefighters who enter

the fire service and then be-

come EMTs. He completed

his EMT classes and “it just

kinda went from there.” The

Mequon Fire Department

hired him when he completed

his EMT-Basic class. Basic

fire classes followed and he

was a member of the Mequon

Fire department for 9 years.

FF Kolberg was also with the

Grafton Fire Department for

a short time before being

hired in West Bend. Jeremy

completed his paramedic

training as part of his Associ-

ate Degree in Fire Science.

Jeremy currently lives in Ce-

darburg. In addition to the

new position on the fire de-

partment he was recently

married. He and his wife,

Emily, are also preparing for

the birth of their first child in

March of 2015. His interests

include golf and softball dur-

ing his free time.

Personnel Spotlight: Jeremy Kolberg